Improved railway chair



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NA PETERS, PHOTCLL wcGRAPHEe, WASHINGTON, D c,

I @einen tsts atrnt @frn WILLIAM FSTER, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA Letters Patent No.-67,280, dated July 30, 1.867,.

IMPBOVED RAILWAY CHAIR.

dlp. Srtrmle tefrmh tu in time tetten patent mit making gan nt the time,

TO ALL WHOM-IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FOSTER, of Logansport, in the county o f Cass, and State of Indiana, have v invented certain new` and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and lexact description of the same, vreference being had to the accompanying drawings, making al portion of this speciilcation7 inwhich- Figure 1 is a plan view of a. rail-joint constructed according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section'of the same. l

Figure 3 is a detached view of a portion ofthe same,.

Figure 4, is a detached view of another portion of thevsame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts' in all 'the figures.

This invention consists in the combination of a locking-wedge and gib with the' rails of a railroad track and a suitable supporting-bar and'chair, whereby the {irmand permanent retention of the ends of the rails in the chair is very eiectuallyseeured, at the same time that a considerable degreeof elasticityis allowed to the jointthus formed, thereby obviating any injury to the ends of the rails from the jarring or concussion of the cars thereon. The invention further consists in a novel means whereby the locking-wedge is prevented from being thrown upward out of its place. i

To enable others to understand the nature and construction of my invention` I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings. i

A indicates the rails, the ends of which are to be joined, and B represents two of the transverse ties upon which the rails are placed, the said ties being placed at suitable distances from the extremities ofthe said rails. A strong Wooden bar, C, is placed upon the outer side of the rails A, in a position nearly longitudinal or parallel with such rails, and withV its ends resting upon the transverse ties B. Attached, by means of vertical bolts a, to the under side' of this longitudinal supporting-bar, is the chair D, which consists of a strong metallic plate which extends inward underneath the adjacent ends or extremities of the rails, and has its inner end or edge b turned upward and over theinnermost iiangescof the rails,.as shown-in figs. 1 and 2. The gib E, made of wrought iron or other metal, and shown separately in fig. 4, has one of its sides of rounded or semicircular form, and istitted into the longitudinal recesses formed betweenthe heads and the iianges of the rails, at the outer .side thereoffas shown more clearly in iig. 2, the said gib extending across thejoint or space b* between the ends'of'the two rails. A wedge or tapering key,'F, Ashown,separately in iig. 3, and made preferably of wood, is then driven longitudinally between the supporting-bar C and the aforesaid gib, and forcing the gib ytightly against the outward side ofthe rails, clamps the end portions thereof firmly between .the turned-over` edge of the' chair D on one side, and the aforesaid gib on the other, thus firmly bringingthem into line with each other and holding themagainst lateral displacement, whilethe aforesaid endsvof the rails resting upon the horisontal portion of the chair, which is itself firmly sustained by the supporting-bar C, are securely supported against downward pressure,: at the Sametime that the bar C, being made of wood,vis suiiiciently elastic to allow the ends of therailsto yield to the degree requisite to prevent injury thereto from the concussion or jarring action of the railway trains in passing' over the joint. -The displacement of the wedge or key F, in an upward, direction, is prevented by the vinwardly-projecting ends of horizon-tal transverse plates G, which are secured upon the' upper side of the supporting-bar C by the same bolts a bywhich the chair D is secured to the under side of the said bar.

What I claim asmy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-.

1. The wedge F and gib E, in combination with the chair D, supporting-bar C, and rails A, substantially as herein set forth for the purpose specified.

2. The plates G and bolts a, in combination with the supporting-bar C, chair D, wedge F, gib E, and railsY A, substantially as herein set forth for the purpose specified. l

WILLIAM FOSTER.

Witnesses:`

R. DAVIDSON, JAS. Kooxau., 

